Naruto went back to sleep on the couch, his alarm clock he dug out his pack set for 6:00 am. The ringing felt like it went off 2 seconds after he closed his eyes, he really was in an exhausted state and needed his rest. Which is why it probably hadn't been smart to do a little showing off and invest so much energy in 'healing' Tsunami. But he had no regrets over the events of the night, even if he felt like he had a mild flu as he shut up the by-design annoying noisemaker.
Naruto took a moment to just stretch and work out the kinks from his body. He was officially in chakra conservation mode, so using the Healing Rune to make himself feel fresh as a daisy was too frivolous at present. Even his mental link with Hinata was off at the moment. He brought out his 'food' Storage Scroll from the top of his pack where he'd left it after his tea with Tsunami. He went to the kitchen, checked where everything was in each drawer, and planned out breakfast for 10, assuming Genma and Raidou had returned from their trip to Hidden Leaf.
15 minutes later, Naruto had rehydrated plenty of powdered eggs and was whipping and seasoning them. Meanwhile, a pot of rice was starting to steam on one of the burners on the stove. The oven was warming up and he was planning to lay the strips of bacon on a baking sheet. He'd also unsealed a handful of apples, oranges, and bananas and thrown them in an actual wooden bowl.
Naruto heard footsteps coming down the staircase and glanced over his shoulder. Huh, for some reason when he'd heard Tazuna and Tsunami mention Inari he'd imagined a little knee-high kid. Inari was instead only a year or two younger than Konohamaru, gawky in the way of a boy who'd just had his first real growth spurt and hadn't had a chance to fill out yet. He wore a pair of overalls with a high-collared shirt underneath, a floppy hat over spiky black hair, and his eyes seemed to regard Naruto in a rather flat, bored way.
"Hi. You're Inari, right? I'm Naruto Uzumaki, one of the ninjas protecting your grandpa," Naruto figured he'd introduce himself.
"Grandfather kept telling the story of how you restarted his heart," Inari commented, and something about his whole affect was starting to worry Naruto. Tazuna and Tsunami had been in pain and near broken from the fate of their homeland and the stress of Gato's threat. But they'd still had hope, had still been willing to keep trying. Inari seemed to be missing that spark, as if he'd already given up and resigned himself to the worst.
"Yeah," Naruto answered, curious how Inari would respond.
"You shouldn't have. You're just delaying the inevitable. He's going to die. And so are you." Inari could have been discussing the weather or maybe the tide, something so predictable there was no point in fighting or being upset over it.
"And why is that?" Naruto asked without sarcasm, wanting an actual answer.
"Because you're going up against Gato. That means you're going to die. Everyone who fights him dies." Inari wasn't even that bitter when he said it. It was a simple statement of fact, in his mind.
Naruto hummed. "Well, I disagree. I think me and my Team are going to protect your grandpa as he finishes the bridge, and anyone Gato sends up against us will die. But feel free to think what you think. One of us will be proven wrong in the end either way." With that, Naruto turned back to the food he was cooking.
"You're an idiot," Inari scoffed at his back.
"I've heard that before," Naruto shrugged.
"You think you're some kind of hero, riding in to save the day? Newsflash, idiot, there's no such thing as a hero!" Inari said, showing some actual emotion for once.
Naruto paused and looked over his shoulder. "Kaiza was a hero. He died, which sucks. But he was. Funny way to honor his memory, kid, denying what he was."
Inari's eyes widened, before he shouted in rage and went to suckerpunch Naruto.
Two seconds later, Inari found his face pressed into the counter while Naruto held him in a hold that would let him easily snap the boy's neck while also keeping him from going anywhere but where Naruto wanted. "Fair warning, kid, attacking a ninja from behind is a good way to get killed," Naruto advised, not even needing the Strength Rune to not budge as Inari writhed and struggled in his grip. He had a good 50+ pounds on the kid and good leverage.
"Don't you say his name!" Inari practically snarled.
Naruto sighed and decided the need was urgent. Much as he had with Tsunami, he used the Empathy and Healing Runes and reached into Inari's emotional core. Inari's rage turned into wailing sobs as Naruto dug deep and forced the teen to actually process all his pain and grief. Naruto shifted from pinning Inari to hugging him from behind. "Let it out, Inari-kun. Let it all out," Naruto said gently down at the boy who'd lost the only father he'd ever known.
"He left us… he left me… why'd he have to fight?" Inari sniffled, truly bawling like a baby.
"Because he had to. Because it was the right thing to do, and he was a good man," Naruto said gently, speaking from his heart and what he'd felt in Tsunami's own emotions last night. "He did what he did to try and protect you, his precious son. It didn't work, and that's a tragedy, but it wasn't for nothing. His death got your grandpa to start moving, to fight back by making the bridge. And now your grandpa has brought us ninjas here. We're rather famous for getting the job done no matter what, you know."
"Gato's so strong… I don't think anyone can beat him, not even ninjas," Inari admitted, but his mood was visibly brightening as more and more healing energy was poured out of Naruto and into his mind.
"We will. He's going to lose, Inari-kun. Believe it," Naruto said softly, adjusting his hold on the boy who might become his stepson.
"... I want to," Inari admitted.
Naruto gave one last comforting squeeze, then let go. "Well, better get back to making breakfast. Nice to meet you, by the way," Naruto joked before refocusing on the food.
Inari wiped his face. "What… what did you do to me? I haven't felt this 'not sad' since… since the execution. Is this some ninja trick?"
Naruto ended the flow of chakra through the Runes, leaving him with maybe a fifth of his reserves for the rest of the day. Well, he'd had chakra exhaustion yesterday, he could be forgiven for taking it easy today. "It's not too different from what I did for your grandpa. I have a special trick to make people healthy again. Not just in body, in mind and soul as well. I healed some of the wounds on your heart just now."
"... Thanks, I guess. But now I'm worried that it'll just get broken all over again if you guys lose," Inari said dryly.
"Well, then it's a good thing we're not going to lose!" Naruto flashed his distinctive sunny smile at Inari.
Inari got a small, hesitant smile. Then he sniffed. "You're burning the rice."
"And who's fault is it that I got distracted?" Naruto snarked, even as he went to try and save the grains.
Inari inserted himself into the breakfast preparations. At 6:30, Naruto heard an alarm clock go off upstairs. A few minutes later, Tsunami came down the stairs. She blinked at the sight of Inari, eyes bright and laughing from his belly, as Naruto blinked from the handful of flour the boy had tossed in his face.
"You do realize of course, Inari-kun, that this means war," Naruto said calmly as he reached for a rag and ran it under water to get all the white powder off his face. "And I am literally a member of the military."
"Bring it on, Naruto," Inari giggled. He noticed his mom. "Morning, Mom!"
"Morning, Inari," Tsunami said, looking like she'd seen a ghost in the best way. "You seem in high spirits this morning."
"Naruto did some ninja trick to make me feel better," Inari explained. "He says he did the same for you overnight. It feels awesome, right? I can think about… well, everything and not want to crawl into a hole anymore."
"Yes he did, Inari. It does feel rather nice, doesn't it?" Tsunami nodded, eyes still stuck on the genuine smile on her son's face.
Naruto finished wiping his face. "Tsunami-chan, could you wake everyone else up? Breakfast is pretty much done."
"Of course, Naruto-kun." Tsunami said with warmth before turning on her heel and going back upstairs to rally the troops.
Naruto turned back to the food that was all simmering and waiting to be plated when he spotted the look Inari was giving him. "What, Inari-kun?" Naruto asked.
"... You're young enough to be my big brother," Inari pointed out, in what might be seen as a random statement of fact. But Naruto recognized it was an acknowledgment of the spark he'd probably detected between his mother and the blond Progenitor.
"Yes," Naruto confirmed simply.
"And you're already married," Inari said, pointing at Naruto's left hand and the gold band Hinata had put there.
"I don't know about Wave Country, but in Fire Country you're allowed to marry more than one person," Naruto said. "Look, Inari-kun, it's really between me and your mom. She has to decide whether to even give me a chance in the first place. And then we need to have, no sarcasm, adult talks about how we would even make it work. But yes, I like her and I offered to take her back to Hidden Leaf Village with me. You're free to come along too, if you want."
"... Ninjas are crazy," Inari shook his head. "Heck, I'd say yes just to get away from Gato, since I'm still not convinced the bridge is enough to get rid of him. That's assuming she falls for whatever play you've come up with, though."
"If you want to call 'treat her like a queen I can honestly fall for' a play," Naruto said with a shrug. "I don't do casual, kid. It's all or nothing with me. My first wife just happens to be very okay with the idea of sister-wives. Suffice to say if you join my family you'll have lots of aunts and cousins someday along with half-siblings."
"We're about to eat, please don't even vaguely reference you making babies with my Mom," Inari said with a rather green look.
"Okay, Inari-kun," Naruto chuckled. Ah, the innocence of youth. Yeah, he was barely much older than Inari, but Naruto had hardly ever been 'innocent'. He'd invented the Sexy Jutsu when he was 12, after all.
Tsunami came back down the stairs, the rest of Team 7 and Team Yuugao following in her wake. Tazuna staggered down about a minute later, looking half-hungover as per usual.
"Thanks for breakfast, Naruto-kun," Tsunami said as she made sure everyone got a plate. They didn't have enough chairs or space at the dining table, but everyone made do with the counters or sitting in the living room.
"No problem, Tsunami-chan. And it's probably the most useful thing I'll do all day. I'm still recovering from the chakra exhaustion I got yesterday," Naruto explained.
"I was about to comment, I was surprised to see you ambulatory without issue, Genin Uzumaki,"
Yuugao spoke up. "Did you truly expend all your reserves yesterday? I only ask because I've never witnessed such extraordinary recovery from full chakra exhaustion overnight."
"For a variety of reasons, I seem to recover chakra faster than the average person, Yuugao," Naruto said, laying one hand on his abdomen while another flicked the tip of one of his pointed ears.
"Fair point," the purple-haired Jonin nodded.
"So, did I miss any important strategy talk over dinner last night?" Naruto posed to the rest of the ninjas in the house.
"If we're lucky, Zabuza is dead. My sword, the Black Blade, is coated in a potent toxin and I at least nicked him so it got into his system. It would kill a baseline human within 60 minutes of entering the bloodstream," Raidou explained. "If he's built up resistance to the right poisons, knows enough medicine to synthesize a general antidote, or both, then he's probably still alive. On the bright side, he's definitely injured and will take at least a couple days to recover. And the Demon Brothers gave us the location of his base two days ago when we captured them."
"The plan, kid, was for me, Raidou, and Yuugao to take off and finish off Zabuza in his bolt hole," Genma explained, moving his left arm a bit tenderly given it was almost cut off yesterday. "We do that, the only real threat left is Gato's army of civilian thugs unless he decides to hire even more shinobi."
"And I alone could handle them. You cute little Genin might not have to get your hands dirty at all," Kakashi said brightly.
Inari eyed Kakashi with severe skepticism. "You're saying you can fight off almost 100 strong men single-handedly?"
"Inari-kun. Know how easily I beat you this morning? That's how easily Kakashi-sensei can beat me. He's a Jonin, which is the highest tier of the ninja ranks. He could literally do it with one eye closed," Naruto said solemnly.
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Naruto," Kakashi waved off. "That said, you three should still get to feel useful. We have our client and his two very vulnerable family members to keep an eye on. Naruto, you shadow Tazuna. Sakura, you shadow Inari. Sasuke, you shadow Tsunami. Until such time as I relieve you of your duty, your only job is to be your respective charge's bodyguard. Understood?"
"Cha, is there a reason you stuck us with the kid? Pardon her, Kakashi-sensei, she's still learning manners. And who's fault is that, bitch? You realize you're basically calling yourself names, right? You hogged the body for over half our life and didn't even let me talk or listen to my ideas; I'm entitled to be a little salty," Sakura said. Apparently, she was either still too tired for Yin Sakura to suppress Yang Sakura or they were trying a new thing of trying to 'drive' together.
"Frankly, Sakura, you're the weakest in our party and Inari, from my understanding, rarely leaves the vicinity of the house. I gave you the duty with minimal chance of danger. Tsunami at least goes into town to get supplies, hence why Sasuke is assigned to her. And Tazuna is both the client and main target of our enemy, and however diminished, Naruto is the most powerful of the three of you," Kakashi broke down.
"Hnn," Sasuke grunted, sounding insulted to be seen as second-best.
"I call 'em like I see 'em, Sasuke. It's not just his Bloodline Limit. He has his Shadow Clones to train in the background, and he's done at least 1 independent Mission after we broke for each day before the Tora snafu and how we got assigned this Mission," Kakashi said firmly. "Not that you don't work hard, Naruto just works harder. You were better than him when you graduated. But that was weeks ago. Don't like it, kick your ass into gear."
"I would if I had an actual sensei to teach me," Sasuke said snidely.
"There's merit to that, I will admit. But you didn't actually ask me for individual attention, just assumed I would say no. You haven't visited the Shinobi Library to check anything out apart from what Naruto got you that first trip. You haven't approached any other ninja in the village to ask for help. You seem to have a deep-seated issue with relying on anyone but yourself, which I would bet my autographed Icha Icha Volume 1 can be traced to the psychological torture you suffered and refused all counseling for. I have my faults as a sensei, Sasuke Uchiha, but you are far from the perfect Genin yourself," Kakashi said in a calm, collected manner.
Sasuke turned bloodless, his hand tensing so hard he snapped his bamboo chopsticks. Sakura glanced at her crush warily, before looking back at Kakashi. "This is a new side of you, Kakashi-sensei. Yeah, almost like you started to care all of a sudden," Yin and Yang said respectively.
"Are either of you complaining, Sakura?" Kakashi asked with a raised eyebrow over an eye that seemed properly 'alive' for the first time Team 7 had ever known their sensei.
"No, just wondering what changed," Yin Sakura said quickly.
"I thought I'd run out of things to lose. Turns out I was wrong. And the Kakashi who retired from ANBU could have obliterated Zabuza Momochi in 10 seconds, if that. I hadn't realized just how much I'd let myself go. I can't promise it'll last, but for now my head is out of my own ass and seeing the light once more. Enjoy it while you can," Kakashi gave his little eye smile.
"I'll take it," Naruto chuckled.
"Welcome back, Kakashi-senpai," Yuugao said with a pleased half-smile.
They finished the meal, Tsunami insisting on doing all the washing herself. Then Team Yuugao prepared to do their search-and-destroy for Zabuza. Raidou left one of his few Flying Thunder God kunai on the table. "Anything happens while we're gone, just throw this. That'll alert me and by extension the other two. If Zabuza is smart, he found a new base and might be preparing to ambush Tazuna as soon as we leave for his old one."
"Or Gato is going to just send his whole army here now that all the shinobi proved inadequate," Kakashi added. "In his mind, if 4 ninja couldn't beat Tazuna's security, then maybe 100 grunts would succeed. Civvies really don't grasp just how much 'more' a ninja can be than a baseline human."
"In any case, be on alert," Yuugao said. "Expect us back within 2 hours."
Team Yuugao vanished at superhuman speeds into the trees, leaving Team 7 to guard the house and Tazuna's family. They all gathered in the living room, the windows open at Kakashi's insistence so he could smell anyone approaching on the wind. He apparently had received training from the Dog Summon Clan for which he had the contract.
15 minutes after Team Yuugao had left, Kakashi sighed. "I hate it when I'm right."
"Incoming?" Naruto asked, getting ready to use what little chakra he had if things got ugly.
"Over 50 men are upwind. And the fact they came as soon as half our squad went off to hunt Zabuza tells me that the man himself is probably in hiding watching the house. Tazuna, Tsunami, Inari, I'm going to have to ask you to gather in the cupboard under the stairs," Kakashi said, an aura of pure command around him making it clear that disobeying was not an option.
The three frightened civilians all went to huddle in the cramped space where they would in theory be safest. Kakashi had already gone for Raidou's kunai and thrown it into the wall before issuing more commands. "Naruto, how many Shadow Clones can you manage right this second?"
"A couple dozen tops," Naruto replied immediately after getting a feel for his reserves.
"Surround the house, watch from all angles. Your original self will stay with me and alert me which one pops first to warn me which angle Zabuza is coming from." Kakashi made the Shadow Clone hand seal himself and made two copies. "Sakura, Sasuke, stand guard at the front door. Not going to lie, I'll probably be too distracted with Zabuza to really help. It'll be kill-or-be-killed when Gato's thugs charge. My best advice: don't think, move. Rely on your training, this is what you've spent 12 years getting ready for. Move, Genin!"
Naruto made the Shadow Clones, and felt himself get drained to just a sliver above chakra exhaustion. Even though his Wards were all still recovering from his massive draw yesterday, he still reached out to each and took all they had to spare short of life force apart from Hinata; she already had been drained of life force. His reserves got refilled to just a little above where they'd been before he made the Clones; not much, but enough to pull off one or two Runes in a pinch. "Two rings, boys, I want to know which direction Zabuza comes from down to the half hour."
"Yes, Boss!" the Clones all saluted before running out the front door. Sakura and Sasuke, looking terrified and excited respectively, followed the two Clones of Kakashi out the same exit.
Kakashi was doing hand seals. "Summoning Jutsu!" He slammed his palm on the floor, where a seal matrix appeared from nowhere. With a puff of smoke, 8 Dog Summons of various sizes appeared. "Boys, there's a Jonin set to break into this house while we're distracted by an E-rank mob. Track him down and neutralize him before he even gets inside. Pakkun, stay here, your nose is the best. Warn me if he manages to sneak past all our other defenses."
They all barked in assent before racing out the door, apart from the smallest: a pug wearing a Hidden Leaf headband. He regarded Naruto and spoke as clearly as Kuromaru. "The pup smells different, Kakashi. Literally not human. Should I be concerned?"
"New Bloodline Limit," Naruto said plainly, drawing a kunai just to be ready. "Technically a whole new species, but that's supposed to be hush-hush."
"Huh. Well, whatever, not important right now." Pakkun hopped onto the coffee table and seemed to sniff the air deeply. "Damn, Kakashi, this doesn't smell good."
"Tell me something I don't know," Kakashi sighed.
There was a flash from the wall, where Raidou had appeared through the Flying Thunder God Jutsu. "Ambush?"
"Ambush. Tell Yuugao and Genma to get back here and step on it," Kakashi ordered.
Raidou vanished in a flash back to Team Yuugao. He appeared back just as a nasal voice amplified by a megaphone came through the open door and windows. "Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf! Hand over Tazuna and I'll triple whatever chump change he coughed up to pay you!"
"Remind me of the parameters of the Mission, Kakashi. Specifically what we're allowed to do to Gato," Raidou said, shifting his grip on his Flying Thunder God Jutsu.
"Hokage-sama didn't explicitly say not to kill him, but it's discouraged. Until his dirty laundry gets exposed in court, we'd get a reputation hit for publically murdering a 'reputable businessman'. If he ends up in a wheelchair, though, I doubt anyone would shed a tear," Kakashi drawled.
"You good here or should I go handle that?" Raidou asked in all seriousness.
"He won't be able to run far, I'd appreciate the backup when Zabuza rears his ugly head," Kakashi decided.
Outside the door, one of the Kakashi Shadow Clones projected his own voice to answer. "This is your one chance. Surrender or die."
There was the sound of numerous professional bullies snorting or laughing. "Have at them boys! A bonus to whoever brings me that scarecrow's head!"
At the same time as a warcry roared from the side of the house facing the front door, Pakkun's head snapped to the side. "From the sea!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!" shouted Zabuza from the dock leading from the beach into the ocean.
"Shit, that'll take out the whole house!" Kakashi swore, turning towards the direction of the incoming missile.
"Clones! Hydrokinesis!" Naruto shouted, even as he activated the Water Rune himself. In an instant, he 'felt' all the nearby bodies of water, from the blood in people's bodies to the vast ocean outside. So he especially felt the hundreds of gallons infused with Zabuza's chakra that had clustered into the form of a winged lizard and were set to demolish the whole house in a watery explosion. Naruto reached out and 'grabbed' the Dragon. His own hold wouldn't have been sufficient, but he felt over 20 smaller but still strong 'hands' join him in grabbing the incoming Jutsu. With a groan of effort, Naruto 'nudged' the dragon's head to the side so it missed the house and exploded once it hit a tree.
Naruto fell on his ass, back to chakra exhaustion, hearing a number of pops outside as all his Shadow Clones vanished, out of chakra to fuel their existence. "I'm out," he panted to Kakashi and Raidou.
"Good work, Naruto. Now don't die before I come back," Kakashi said before diving out one of the windows. Raidou tossed his kunai out the same window, vanishing in a flash.
Naruto sat there, barely able to keep his eyes open, when he heard a thump from the direction of the kitchen. He looked and felt his blood run cold as he saw two men in civilian clothes with swords belted to their waists sneak in the side door. In the chaos of the fight in front of the house and the ninja duel behind, they must have found a chance to slip past once Naruto's Clones had vanished.
Naruto grit his teeth, aware he had two options: tap his Wards for life force… or make a deal with a devil. And he knew which one he'd feel less guilty for. He pressed a hand to his lower torso and 'reached' out with his mind towards the Seal holding the Nine-Tailed Fox.
Feeling like he was sinking into the ocean like he had yesterday, Naruto found himself in what felt like a sewer. It was a long, narrow corridor lit by flickering fluorescent lights and the floor was wet with a couple inches of dirty water. In a hurry, Naruto ran down the hall until it opened up into a massive room. It was a good 10 stories high and over 100 meters wide. A massive gate split the room in half, a simple Sealing Tag seemingly holding the doors closed. Shadows that seemed thicker than they should hid whatever was locked inside what was undeniably a cage.
Naruto ran until he was halfway to the doors. Then he sucked in a breath and bellowed at the top of his lungs. "OI! NINE-TAILS! SHOW YOUR FACE!"
In response, a paw with claws bigger than Naruto's whole body lunged out from the shadows. Naruto flinched back, but the bars of the cage blocked the paw from reaching near enough for the claws to touch Naruto… by a few inches.
"About time you came to visit, my 'host'," growled a voice that made Zabuza's 'demon' voice yesterday sound about as threatening as a newborn kitten. Still cloaked in shadow, a halo of red chakra illuminated the silhouette of a vulpine face larger than the faces on Hokage Rock. "How shameful that it would take this long for us to finally meet."
Naruto had never been more scared, face to face with the demon they literally told scary stories about in Hidden Leaf. The monster that had killed so many, including his parents. The Tailed Beast of legend, who not even his father the Fourth Hokage could defeat, only imprison. But he didn't have time to just stand there trembling in his sandals. Lives were on the line, including his own. So he dug deep into his quad of balls and found the guts to set his shoulders. "Well, I'm here now. Naruto Uzumaki here. And your name?"
"Did you not just address me as 'Nine-Tails'?" the Fox growled, though unless Naruto was totally off the mark the massive beast sounded a tad confused.
"That's what you are. Unless you want me to keep calling you that, I want to know who you are," Naruto explained.
The Fox regarded him with those giant blood-red eyes before scoffing. "My true name is not for the likes of you. Only my kin have the honor to even know it, let alone speak it."
"Fine, then I'll stick with Nine-Tails. Look, I owe you a long, thorough heart-to-heart to work out the terms of a mutually beneficial arrangement here. But we both don't have time for that. This second, I've got chakra exhaustion and two hostiles are about 10 feet away. Not to be rude, but give me some chakra so I don't get killed, please."
The Fox blinked before giving a snort of what was probably amusement. "Foolish human. If you die, this Seal would take me with you for a time, true. But my chakra, released back into the world, would eventually reform and I would be reborn. What incentive have I to aid your survival and prolong my stay in this wretched prison?"
Naruto grit his teeth, realizing the Nine-Tails had a point. Then he had an idea. It was a ridiculous idea, but desperate times call for desperate measures. "For the record, I find this at least as gross as you do," he said, before he unbuttoned his pants and sent them and his boxers to the ground.
"What are you doing?" the Fox tilted its head (or his, the voice was definitely male) in bafflement.
Naruto cupped his quad and lifted the 4 orbs out of the way, reaching down with his other hand. He felt his taint, then gave a light Gentle Fist jab when he thought he located his prostate. A minute later, when his forced orgasm had run its course, he looked down at the puddle of the half gallon of cum he'd just ejaculated. "If it helps, I've been told it's delicious by multiple sources," Naruto said flippantly, before reaching out with his mind. This was all in his head, after all, and he made the rules. He lifted the puddle of his cum, gathering it into a ball in the air, then sent it flying at the Nine-Tails' mouth. It slipped like the semi-liquid it was between those sharp teeth, going on to land on the demon's tongue.
"WHA–" The Fox froze mid-shout, eyes turning glassy. He mindlessly swallowed, and Naruto marveled as his cockamamie scheme worked as he felt a mind-box be filled with a potential Connection. Naruto, striking while the iron was hot, cemented the Connection, linking him and the Nine-Tailed Fox as Progenitor and Ward.
Naruto blinked as a flood of information filled him through the Connection. "Wait… you're only the Yang half of the Fox. Where's the Yin half?"
The Fox proved insensate, sent into a 14 hour long mini-coma by the narcotic in Naruto's precum.
"Whatever, I can figure that mystery out later," Naruto shook his head. He focused on the Connection to the Fox and 'pulled', drawing chakra from what felt like a bottomless well.
It burned like fire or acid in his blood, the Fox's chakra feeling corrosive and toxic. But it was still chakra, still energy, and Naruto felt his reserves go from empty to full in moments. Then Naruto, by instinct, activated the Spirit and Healing Runes with his newfound fuel. He felt the Runes take effect, and the poisonous chakra of the Fox was suddenly filtered. It still felt different, definitely not human, but it wasn't painful to the touch anymore.
Naruto opened his real eyes, less than a second having passed while he was in the construct of the Seal within his subconscious. Golden fires seemed to flicker around his hands, and Naruto guessed that whatever the two Runes did to remove the 'evil' or 'negative' from the Fox's chakra had changed the color from red to yellow. That was a cosmetic detail at best, though. What mattered was how Naruto used it.
Getting his feet underneath him, Naruto charged at the two of Gato's thugs. They seemed to move in slow motion, eyes widening. Naruto had time to catch his own reflection in the nearest one's eyes before he threw a flat palm strike straight to his nose. Naruto added a burst of chakra in the manner of the Gentle Fist, as his wife Hinata had been teaching him in the days leading up to this Mission.
The thug's head exploded like a macabre water balloon, sending crimson blood and meat, pink-gray brain, and gray-white skull fragments flying, painting the kitchen wall in disturbing streaks. Naruto had no time to register it as he was already sending his other palm at the other goon's chest. He didn't use the burst of chakra this time. Still, he felt sternum, ribs, and multiple organs break and collapse from the sheer physical force of the blow. The goon started to collapse in slow motion, projectile vomiting blood.
Okay, note to self: using the Fox's chakra was good as 3 or 4 mind-boxes of the Strength Rune.
Still, he couldn't think about the literal blood on his hands right that moment. There was still a fight going on, and he had the power to stop it.
Naruto ran through the open side door, leaving his two kills behind him still yet to fully fall to the floor dead. Once outdoors, he made his favorite hand seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" In a cloud of smoke, over 100 copies of him, all with golden outlines of 'purified' Tailed Beast chakra, appeared.
"Capture and subdue!" Naruto shouted.
"Yes, Boss!" they saluted before vanishing at the enhanced speed granted by the inhuman chakra they were charged with.
Naruto turned on his heel and jumped to the roof of the house as easily as he would skip a step on the stairwell. He looked all around, surveying the battlefield. Kakashi and Raidou were tag-teaming a bleeding but still fighting Zabuza. Sasuke, Sakura, and one Clone-Kakashi were separated and in the middle of a mob of goons. Over a dozen bodies laid on the ground, but Gato's men were still fighting and set to overwhelm the two Genin and one-hit copy of a Jonin. A short man in an expensive suit stood back from the violence, a smug grin on his mouth.
Naruto took a deep breath, and added the Dominion Rune to his active powers. "STOP!"
An actual shockwave radiated from him, the sheer force of his shout amplified by the Fox's chakra enough to distort the air. As soon as his words registered in each person's mind, Naruto 'felt' them appear in a mind-box for him to potentially mind control. Quickly sorting out his teammates and Tazuna's family, Naruto focused on all the rest, including Zabuza. He 'pushed', imposing his will against each of theirs in a direct contest.
He might have been able to influence so many on a good day with full chakra reserves… for a few seconds. Supercharged on the seemingly limitless flow of the Nine-Tails' chakra, though, Naruto felt like a puppeteer as he made all Gato's thugs, the man himself, and Zabuza fall to their knees. With them in submissive poses, his Shadow Clones had no trouble knocking each out with relative lovetaps to the backs of their heads. In less than a minute after 'waking up', Naruto effectively won the whole battle.
Naruto hopped back down to the ground on the ocean side. As he walked, he figured he might as well milk all this chakra for its full worth. Keeping the Spirit and Healing Runes on to keep filtering out the 'evil', Naruto sent chakra through all his Connections to each Ward until he felt them reach their full reserves. When that was done, even Hiruzen filled to the brim, Naruto figured he'd collected enough 'rent' for one day. He stopped drawing on the Fox's chakra, having only used up a mere 10th of what he had total. He literally felt it as the chakra retreated back into the Seal and he returned to 'normal'. The world sped back up and he was a mere mortal instead of an invincible demigod once more. Well, a Progenitor, but still.
"Naruto… are you good?" Kakashi asked, eyeing him warily. "Did the Seal break?"
"No, I went into it myself. And turns out the Progenitor thing gives me a shortcut to becoming a 'Perfect' Jinchuuriki. I managed to force a Connection with the Fox, and the Runes let me 'fix' his chakra so it doesn't kill me while I'm using it," Naruto answered honestly. "Of course, he's passed out for the first 14 hours right now. Once he wakes up, he might fight back next time I try to draw on his chakra. So let's consider this a one-time sneak peek of what I'll be able to do once I figure out how to actually become a Perfect Jinchuuriki."
"Well, well. You're just full of surprises, aren't ya?" Kakashi repeated the line he'd given after Naruto beat him the day of the Bell Test. He turned back to Zabuza, where Naruto's Shadow Clone was assisting Raidou in stripping all weapons or tools. "You know, by the laws of Hidden Mist Village, you directly defeated Zabuza. You have the right to claim the Decapitating Carving Knife. Interested?"
Naruto blinked. "For real? Isn't it like a national treasure or something? Wouldn't it be a big deal if a Hidden Leaf ninja starts swinging it around?"
"Like I said, it's their own law. Granted, normally ownership is handed off after official duels to the death, but we ninjas love our loopholes. Zabuza was the previous wielder, you're the one who knocked him out. Take it for yourself or I'll hand it over to Hokage-sama to decide what to do with it," Kakashi argued logically.
Naruto hummed. He walked over and crouched down to curl his hand around the hilt of the giant cleaver. He flexed, and he blinked. "Damn, pretty good balance for such a bigass blade." He stood, testing the feel of the Decapitating Carving Knife in his hand. He definitely felt the weight, but given his peak fitness for a very athletic build it wasn't too bad. He gave a simple overhead swing, and something just felt 'right' about the whole thing. He looked back at Kakashi with a grin. "I'll take it!"
"Very well. Now, we have a lot of clean up to do. Raidou, flash Zabuza back to T&I as soon as possible, then get back here to help deal with all the criminals," Kakashi ordered.
"Yes, Kakashi," the Special Jonin nodded as he continued to check over Zabuza head to toe.
Kakashi jogged around the house to the battlefield that had formed in front of it, Naruto close behind him. Naruto's Shadow Clones had yet to dispel, each hovering over the unconscious form of the enforcer they'd knocked out. There were a few bodies that didn't have a Clone and were still as the grave, though. Sasuke was panting and staring at the bloody kunai in his hand, Sharingan active. Sakura was on her knees and dry-heaving, her half-digested breakfast in a puddle beneath her as her body kept convulsing. The Clone-Kakashi had gone and was guarding the unconscious Gato personally.
Kakashi gently went up to Sasuke. He reached out and took the kunai from Sasuke's weak grip. "I won't insult you and ask how you feel. But is there anything you need?" Kakashi asked, sounding almost parental with concern.
"Tell me you forget their faces," Sasuke begged, for once not sounding aloof and condescending and unflappable. He sounded like a scared little boy who'd just turned on the lights to find there really was a monster in the closet.
"I can't," Kakashi sighed.
"He had his Sharingan on the whole time. If he could do what he did and tattoo it on his brain like that… gods, he really is insane. My brother is insane." Sasuke, to Naruto's shock, sounded on the verge of tears.
"It's as much a curse as a blessing, to have these eyes. Some crumble under the weight of them. If you truly want to restore your clan, be better than Itachi. Be stronger than him. I don't mean strong enough to beat him in a fight. I mean strong enough to bear the burden of your own power without flinching," Kakashi advised.
"Solid speech, Kakashi-sensei, but let's go with a little Rune-based therapy," Naruto said, for the third time combining the Empathy and Healing Rune before focusing on his Uchiha teammate. Naruto blinked and added the Spirit Rune. "By the gods, even your soul is bleeding. Has been for years. What did that bastard do to you that night?"
"Taught me the power of hate," Sasuke said lowly, not outwardly reacting as Naruto did his best to repair all the damage to his psyche and even his Astral body.
"And where has it gotten you? Apart from miserable and without a single friend in all the world?" Naruto asked, focusing and pushing to try and mend the rips and tears on Sasuke's heart that almost resisted his attempts to fix them, as if he wanted to be in pain.
"If I don't let anyone in again, he can't take them away like he did everyone else," Sasuke argued. "And if I never have another friend, I can't fall as low as he did."
"What do you mean?" Naruto blinked.
Kakashi sighed. "There's a second level to the Sharingan, past the full 3-tomoe eye. The Mangekyo Sharingan. Whereas the initial Sharingan is triggered by a near-death experience, the Mangekyo is activated by the trauma of killing a loved one. Itachi Uchiha has the Mangekyo Sharingan. Seems Sasuke has kept his walls up to prevent himself from ever feeling tempted to follow in his footsteps."
"Okay… well, that's horrifying. And explains a lot about why you always hold people back, Sasuke. But here's a thought. Make friends, then just don't murder them," Naruto snarked.
"I know myself, Naruto. If I had the opportunity to get that much power to avenge my clan, I'd take it," Sasuke said dully.
"So you're an asshole to protect people? You realize how backwards that sounds, right?" Naruto shook his head. He had healed a lot, but certain 'wounds' in Sasuke's mind, heart, and soul simply refused to heal despite how much energy Naruto threw at them. He ceased the flow of chakra before he drained himself dry for a lost cause. "Food for thought: he broke you, and you put yourself back together around what he 'taught' you. Maybe you should stop and think whether that's exactly what he wanted you to do. And whether you're okay living the way he wanted for you. Chew on that."
"I fucking hate you, Uzumaki," Sasuke growled, but there was the faintest upturn to his lips.
"Love you too, Uchiha," Naruto quipped before going to lay a comforting hand on Sakura's back. He repeated the use of Empathy and Healing Runes on the pinkette. He felt something 'off' about her much as he had with Sasuke. Whereas Sasuke's soul had felt like it was covered in infected cuts, Sakura's was perfectly split in two. They fit against each other edge for edge, curve for curve, but they repelled like magnets rather than being drawn together. Curious, Naruto added the Spirit Rune as well like he had the Uchiha.
Sakura gasped. "What… what's going on? I am… I am. That's never happened before."
"So, apparently if I use the right Rune I can 'cure' your Yin-Yang Dissociation Disorder. But it's temporary," Naruto informed his kunoichi teammate.
"Hypothetically, if I became your Ward and you got a Connection with me, could you do this 24/7 like you do your Telepathy with Hinata?" Sakura, Yin and Yang fused together as they were meant to be, asked levelly.
"Um, yeah. Hypothetically," Naruto said, not sure how he felt about Sakura joining his network just to get the psychic equivalent of an antipsychotic.
"Hypothetically, what would either of me have to do to get you to do such a thing?" Sakura asked, a bit of a desperate edge to her voice.
"Hypothetically, listen to me explain all the side effects and gritty details of becoming a Ward and then both of you give informed consent," Naruto replied.
"Naruto. Please. I've only just been born, you can't let me die until those two can manage to agree on something." Sakura looked up at Naruto, tears in her eyes. "Right here, right now, I'll do anything to stay 'me'. Anything. What do I need to do to join your network in the next 10 seconds before I split in half and maybe never come back?"
Naruto met those jade green eyes, feeling horribly conflicted. For years he'd dreamed of a moment like this, a willing Sakura at his feet. All he had to do was stop channeling chakra through the Spirit Rune and the moment would pass. She'd go back to 'normal' and he could work on seducing both halves of her the old-fashioned way. But something in her eyes, the fear of 'dying' perhaps, combined with all those years of fantasizing and he caved.
"Agree to marry me. And blow me. In that order," Naruto said honestly.
"Yes and yes," Sakura answered without hesitation, a testament to just how badly she wanted to stay 'whole'.
Naruto reached for his pants, and with simple movements pulled out his hardening cock. "Are you sure you've thought this–"
She was already halfway down his shaft, sucking and slobbering on him like her life depended on it. Which it kinda did. The precum narcotic took effect and she went into a reflexive trance. Naruto didn't bother trying to hold out, and after a couple minutes of stimulation he blew his load down her throat. Once he was done, he withdrew and tucked himself back in. Then he made the Connection, adding Sakura Haruno to his network permanently. Much as he almost always had the Mind Rune added to his Connection with Hinata, Naruto added the Spirit Rune to his link with Sakura.
Speaking of Hinata… *Honey?* Naruto projected, opening their Telepathy with a mild use of chakra.
*Naruto-kun. I'm sure there's an interesting story behind how I burst into golden flames for a few seconds and now feel like I just had a full load. I was on bedrest today after the chakra exhaustion and life force drain yesterday. Now I'm raring to go,* came the mind-voice of his wife.
*The Wave Mission has been… eventful, to say the least. Two big things: I made the Nine-Tails my Ward. And Sakura just imprinted on me to join herself,* Naruto thought across the intervening miles.
*Fascinating. Perhaps you could start from the beginning?* Hinata thought with a playful giggle.
"Naruto, far be it from me to kink-shame, but perhaps get a little privacy the next time you recruit a Ward directly," Kakashi said, from where he'd been standing with Sasuke the whole time.
"These were extreme circumstances, Kakashi-sensei, but noted," Naruto fired back, feeling embarrassment after the fact for having been blown in front of his teammates, the gods, and everyone.
Kakashi cricked his neck. "Well, I'll handle the butcher duty of taking out all these henchmen. Naruto, put Sakura somewhere to sleep off the 14 hours. Sasuke, go tell Tazuna and his family to come out of the cupboard."
"Yes, Kakashi-sensei," both Genin agreed. Naruto scooped up a pregnant-looking Sakura in bridal carry. He went into the house and up the stairs, having to take a second to stab the Decapitating Carving Knife in the ground to get later since it wouldn't fit through the door. He found the guest bedroom by dint of the multiple sleeping bags crammed in. Naruto located Sakura's pink bag and tucked her in as gently as he could.
As Naruto came back down the stairs, he distinctly heard Inari throwing up. Concerned, he came down and felt a little delayed shock as he saw the teen staring in horror at the bodies of the two goons Naruto had so effortlessly killed. Tazuna had gone to fetch his stash of spirits and was already a good third into the first bottle. Tsunami was rubbing her son's back with a rather green expression.
The blond Uzumaki cleared his throat. "Sorry. I overdid it a little bit there. I'll clean up the mess, I promise."
Tsunami looked at Naruto with a frown. "You did this, Naruto-kun?"
"I used a 'spell' I've never used before. It made me stronger than I expected. I was aiming to just knock them out, but instead… that happened," Naruto said delicately, nodding at the headless corpse and the man with the visibly collapsed chest.
Tsunami gave a slow nod. "You are a ninja. I knew that. Still, it's one thing to know and another to know." She glanced almost involuntarily back at the corpses before focusing back on Naruto. "I recognize them. They were Gato's personal bodyguards. They've got a few bastards in cradles and still growing from girls they raped since he came to Wave Country. No one will mourn them."
"Well, that's something, I guess," Naruto said flatly. He made a couple Shadow Clones and assigned them to carry the bodies out of the house and start cleaning up all the gore. "Anyway, it was touch and go for a second there, but Zabuza and Gato's army were all dealt with. We've captured Gato himself. Messy as it was, I call this a win."
"Ninjas are super scary," Tazuna said, and it was mixed praise and acknowledgment of a terrible fact. "You seem like some happy-go-lucky kid, and you can still do shit like that. And you're a baby ninja, Kakashi and Yuugao are even scarier. Which makes Hokage-sama the scariest, right?"
"In theory," Naruto confirmed, knowing that now he was through the Change Hiruzen was back in his prime, or even better. He was probably the strongest shinobi in the village in fact as well as on paper.
"I wasn't going to welsh on the payment plan, but now I'm definitely not," Tazuna swore before taking another hit of his bottle.
Yuugao stepped back in the house, looking mildly annoyed. "Kakashi-senpai informed me of the details. How shameful that I was not present to help during the assault. My apologies, Client Tazuna."
"All's well that ends well," Tazuna waved off before giving a little belch. "What's going to happen to Gato and all his lackeys?"
"The 'lackeys' are being executed since we lack the manpower to imprison and intern such a large number on short-notice," Yuugao said without blinking. "Gato has been flashed by Genma back to the Hidden Leaf Village for temporary custody pending a full criminal trial by the Fire Daimyo's Court. His fortune shall likely be frozen and seized upon his all but certain verdict. That said, if the citizens of Wave should happen to loot his base of operations, I'm sure anything they find won't be missed."
"We can do that later. For now, I need to drink until I pass out," Tazuna stated before cracking open his second bottle.
"Father, it's not yet 8:00 in the morning," Tsunami sighed, as if she was already resigned to the coming binge.
"I'm drinking to forget and celebrate. Let me have this, Tsunami," Tazuna grumbled.
Inari had gone to get a mop and clean up his own pile of sick. Having finished, he looked up at Naruto. "You saved us." It wasn't a question.
"I helped," Naruto agreed in part.
"You did something involving a 'water dragon' and if you'd stood aside then those two would have found us and slit our throats. You saved our lives. You're a hero, Naruto," Inari said with weight to his words.
"An hour ago you didn't believe in heroes," Naruto pointed out.
"Well, you proved me wrong," Inari shrugged. "Not a storybook hero, but a real hero. I owe you for forever."
"You owe me nothing, Inari-kun," Naruto countered. "I promised to protect Tazuna-san. And I always keep my promises. That's my code, my Ninja Way. A good deed is its own reward."
"You're laying it on a bit thick, Uzumaki," Sasuke drawled from the corner.
"I'm just being me, Uchiha," Naruto grumbled.
"In any case," Yuugao said, ending the moment rather effectively. "Tazuna-san, am I to understand you will be indulging for the rest of the day and not going into town to work on the bridge?"
"I literally had a heart attack yesterday, I'm takin' the day off," Tazuna declared with already rosy cheeks.
"Very well, then. Genin Uchiha, Genin Uzumaki, maintain a guard around Client Tazuna and his family. Kakashi-senpai, myself, Genma, and Raidou will handle all the post-battle work before joining you and discussing our next move. Genin Uzumaki, Genin Haruno will regain consciousness in 14 hours, yes?"
"That's right," Naruto nodded.
"In the future, save any 'recruiting' with your Bloodline Limit for your own time," she said with a hint of reprimand. "Also, I would be willing to give an introductory lesson in Kenjutsu when we're both free. I specialize in a katana, but I know the basics of wielding a sword that size as well."
"Wait, how come you get to keep Zabuza's sword?" Sasuke frowned.
"Kakashi-sensei says since my Shadow Clone knocked him out, I 'won' it fair and square, essentially," Naruto explained. "Hidden Mist supposedly can't even raise a stink since that's literally their own law."
"... I refuse to feel jealous. I am simply aware of your growing power and that will fuel my determination to leave you in my dust," Sasuke said firmly.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Uchiha," Naruto tried not to laugh in the ravenette's face.
"Behave, Genin," were Yuugao's parting words before turning and exiting out the door.
"What did Yuugao-san mean about 'recruiting' Sakura, Naruto-kun?" Tsunami asked.
"It's a very long, complicated story, which we probably will want some privacy for," Naruto said plainly.
"Come up to my room, but we're leaving the door open," Tsunami ordered.
"Eww, Mom! You made it weird when it didn't have to be!" Inari groaned, slapping his hands over his ears.
"Sorry, Inari," Tsunami said with rather more humor. Then she went for the stairs, Naruto obediently following behind her and leaving Sasuke to babysit the two civilian men.
Tsunami's room was clean, orderly, and had a muted femininity. It didn't look too different from the guest room where Naruto had left Sakura, apart from little touches: a throw pillow here, a knitting corner, a vase of hand-picked flowers by the bed. Tsunami sat down on her bed and patted the space next to her. Naruto settled himself down, all at once very aware of his sheer bulk in comparison to this dainty creature. She'd need the Change for him to feel comfortable touching her without worrying he'd break her in two.
"Now… is this going to be a 'ninja' talk or an 'us' talk?" Tsunami asked once they were both settled and facing each other.
"A little of both," Naruto replied. "There's a… certain kind of magic in my blood, Tsunami-chan, in my very DNA. We call mutations caused by chakra that can be inherited from parent to child like that 'Bloodline Limits'. I'm the first to have the 'Progenitor' Bloodline Limit. It's pretty complicated, but it's inherently sexual. Ergo, anyone who I want to have sex with or who wants to have sex with me needs a long talk to give true informed consent. Which is what this talk is going to be."
"Sex magic… sure," Tsunami gave a little huffy giggle. "I'm listening, Naruto-kun."
"Progenitors, like me, produce special proteins in their prostate. Just the way it works. Anyone who ingests them, either from a container or 'straight from the tap', becomes one of my Wards. Wards have a Connection back to me for the rest of their lives, through which we can share chakra and do a few other magical things," Naruto laid out, trying to stick to terms Tsunami would understand. "Wards also go through the Change. It has a different effect on men vs women, but the end result is the body of the perfect warrior for their sex in peak health and fitness. On top of all the physical enhancements, both the mind and personality get affected as well. Every Ward is a genius with photographic memory. But they also have their personality 'tweaked'. A Progenitor's Ward is bisexual, polyamorous, has an enhanced libido and desire to have children, and will 'imprint' for life on their first sexual partner. If a Ward gets their dose of the proteins by fellating me, their imprint is automatically me. That's what I meant last night, about how my wife is into women too. She's my first Ward, and because of the Change she's now ready, willing, and able to become head wife of the Uzumaki harem. She actively encourages me to find more women to try and 'recruit' to our marriage as a sister-wife."
Tsunami's expression didn't change too much, staying attentive and contemplative. "So… Sakura?" she prompted.
"I used a little magic to help Sakura with her disorder while I was trying to heal her after the fight. The new combined Sakura was so desperate to stay 'alive' and not split back into two warring halves that she literally begged on her knees to join my network. I just happened to be selfish and had her blow me directly so I could get her as my wife someday," Naruto confessed.
"So… you had a blowjob in my front yard just now?" Tsunami asked incredulously.
"Yeah, I wasn't really thinking about the setting, more on getting the girl I'd been pining after since puberty," Naruto admitted with an awkward scratch of his cheek. "And since I'm just telling everything, there's a narcotic in my precum. First exposure knocks a person out for 14 hours, the second for 4, and the third on they stay conscious. That's why she's going to be out until about 9:15 or thereabouts."
"So… that's why you jumped straight to us running away back to your village. Because of the imprint, you can't do 'casual' affairs. You either don't have sex with a woman, or she ends up falling in love with you for life after the first time. And being a healthy young man, you're going for the 'harem master' option," Tsunami stated the facts.
"In my defense, Hinata and each of our girlfriends, because of the Change, are now bi and poly and just as into the idea of a group marriage as I am," Naruto pointed out.
"I suppose that makes sense," Tsunami nodded after a beat. "So, just to reiterate, if I want to be with you, I'm essentially committing to a lifetime as soon as I take you in my mouth. My body, mind, and even my soul will be altered. Will I even be 'Tsunami' after this Change is finished?"
"Some people who knew Hinata before and after the Change say she's a completely different person. But I don't agree with that," Naruto said clearly. "The old Hinata was shy, anxious, had cripplingly low self-esteem, but had one of the kindest hearts of anyone I've ever met. Now she's outgoing, confident, believes in herself, and has gotten even kinder. She's still 'Hinata', just all the negatives 'fixed' and the positives cranked up as high as possible. The Change 'heals' everything to what it thinks is perfect. The sexual stuff is basically thrown in for flavor to almost encourage me to build a harem, for whatever reason. In all other ways, I think I can speak for Hinata when I say the Change is the best thing that ever happened to her."
*Correction, you are the best thing that ever happened to me, Naruto-kun. The Change is just window dressing,* Hinata projected into his mind.
*Love you too, Hinata-chan,* Naruto thought back before refocusing on Tsunami.
Tsunami gave a slow nod. "And I would have your word you wouldn't abandon me? Use me for a time only to discard me?"
"Of course not!" Naruto said sharply, the very idea feeling repugnant. "Call me greedy, Tsunami-chan, but I'll take all the love that I can get. The Change will make you love me. I swear to you here and now that I will love you at least as much right back. You'd be my wife, and I take the role of husband very seriously. I'll make you breakfast in bed. I'll rub your feet after a long day. I'll write you poems, though I suck at poetry. I'll do whatever you need to feel assured that you are precious to me. True, I'll have more than just you I need to take care of and focus on. But bear in mind that all your sister-wives will be there for you too. One big happy family, I really see that as our future if you come back with me."
Tsunami got a small grin. "It's funny. Inari's father lied to my face. Kaiza made promises he couldn't keep. But when you say that, I believe you in my bones. Maybe that's more ninja magic of yours tricking me… or maybe I really am that lucky to catch your eye."
"I'm the lucky one to meet you, Tsunami-chan," Naruto said honestly. He knew how much that sounded like a line, but he really meant it. The more he learned and got to know this woman, for however brief a time, the more he felt certain they belonged together.
"You're saying all the right things, Naruto-kun. But what about my house, all my things? What about my Father? What about Inari? I can't just abandon everything to run away with you," Tsunami brought up the elephant in the room.
"I can make enough Storage Scrolls to pack up literally everything not nailed down in this whole house. I mean, if I knew how I'd make a Storage Seal big enough to just pack up the whole house, but I'm not that good yet," Naruto answered immediately. "Tazuna and Inari can come along with us. I mean, I'd have to put you up in a hotel or we'd all have to cram into my and Hinata-chan's apartment while we look for a proper house to fit all of us. But I want you in my life, Tsunami-chan, and I recognize and respect you're a package deal. Inari seems like a fine young man. I won't deny the age thing might make things a tad awkward at first as I try to figure out how to be a stepdad, but I'm willing to try my best. And Tazuna can either stay here or tag along. He'd probably have to find a job in Hidden Leaf Village or else just retire and become the cantankerous grandpa getting drunk in his chair in our living room. The point is, I'm not asking you to abandon your family, Tsunami-chan. I'm asking you to join mine, and your old one is welcome to come too."
Tsunami looked deep into his eyes, before closing her eyes and chuckling. "I must be out of my mind. Okay, Naruto-kun."
"Okay? As in, yes?" Naruto asked, hardly daring to hope.
"Well, you'll have to ask me properly," Tsunami teased.
Naruto slipped down to the floor on one knee. He took Tsunami's hand in his. "Tsunami-chan, will you marry me?" he asked, simple and heartfelt.
"Yes, Naruto-kun," Tsunami beamed.
Feeling elated enough to walk on air, Naruto stood up and leaned down to press his first kiss to those rose-pink lips. And he reflected that he really did tend to put the cart before the horse when it came to relationships. Well, it had worked so far.